Greetings!

My name is Jillian Harmon and I'm from a few different places I call home. My primary home is in Ithaca, NY, where I live with a friend outside of Cornell's campus. I've come to love Ithaca for its quirky hippies who walk their pigs down the street and beautiful gorges that integrate well with the city and connect me to nature. I also live in Spencer, NY, a rural one-stoplight town 30 minutes from Ithaca. This is my home town, although I feel little connection to it. Lastly, my birth mother is from the Philippines, but today she lives in Chicago. Growing up in three distinct environments (small city, rural town, giant metropolis) gave me a lot to reflect upon as I was growing up. I've always been curious about the way people see themselves within their environment and the cultures and attitudes of each of the places I've lived. Listening to viewpoints ranging from democrat and liberal (Ithaca) to republican and conservative (Spencer) have really led me to challenge what I believe in and why I believe it.

For this class, I'm hoping to get a greater understanding of my own education and a chance to reflect upon how higher education can/can not help one move from one class to another. I'm excited to learn about some sociological concepts pertaining to class and I'm hoping to gain a greater understanding of class by learning and listening to my peers.